Medicine : Splitting Pills
You may save money at the pharmacy by splitting pills, but how safe is it? Do you get the true half dose when you cut a pill in two? In general, the best types of pills to split are scored tablets, meaning there’s a line down the middle of the tablet. This helps ensure that each split tablet dose has the same strength. Some tablets can be just as safe split in half as the whole medications. However, some medicines have special coatings to protect the stomach. These shouldn’t be cut in half. Long-acting medicines shouldn’t be split because they could be absorbed too quickly. The bottom line, ask your doctor before you split pills. Once you get your doctor’s ok, you can buy a pill cutter at the pharmacy, or you can ask your pharmacist to cut your pills for you. For more information, call St. John’s Referral One at 625.2000 or visit stj.com.
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